1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety or cultivar of the ornamental shrub, Lagerstroemia indica, commonly known as crapemyrtle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Crapemyrtle is native to eastern China and was introduced into North America in the late 1700's. Since then this popular ornamental shrub has been grown extensively across the southern half of the continent. Over the years, seedlings of Lagerstroemia indica have been selected and introduced into the market with different growth habits and flower colors. In addition, hybrids between L. indica and L. fauriei have been selected to add additional features, particularly more striking bark color.
An assortment of methods has been utilized to develop improved varieties of crapemyrtle and several of those varieties have had U.S. Plant Patents issued. For example, U.S. Plant Pat. Nos. 4,182, 4,183, 4,184 and 4,185 disclose and claim a series of four new varieties of Lagerstroemia indica produced by crossing previously known varieties. Each of these varieties was characterized as having a weeping growth habit at maturity. U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,302 also discloses a new variety of crapemyrtle exhibiting a weeping growth habit at maturity.
U.S. Plant Pat. Nos. 6,365 and 6,383 disclose varieties of crapemyrtle derived from seedlings treated with a mutation-inducing chemical. It is generally known that sodium azide, colchicines and other chemicals are capable of producing plant mutations. Since one or more of the great, great grandparents of the new variety of crapemyrtle was treated with one of these compounds, it is possible that the present invention may be a chemically induced mutation.
The new variety of crapemyrtle claimed herein, which has been given the cultivar name ‘WHIT IX’ was selected from a block of about 14,000 seedlings planted in 2002. Parents of these 14,000 seedlings were 12, 13 or 14 generations removed from the original single seedling parent used to begin this crapemyrtle breeding program.
The specific identity of the parent of the present invention has been lost due to hail destroying the aluminum identification label during year 5 and, because the plant had yet to flower, no timely effort was made to reestablish the specific parent. The present invention did finally flower during the 6th growing season, however, which is highly unusual. By contrast, nearly all crapemyrtle seedlings in our selection program flower the second or third year, while only a very few seedlings never flower at all.
This new and distinct crapemyrtle was asexually reproduced by rooting softwood cuttings taken from the original ‘WHIT IX’ plant near Stillwater, Okla. The asexually reproduced plants show the unique features that characterize this crapemyrtle, thereby indicating that the unique features of this plant are stable through its successive generations of asexual reproduction. Softwood cuttings taken from our new variety of crapemyrtle were successfully rooted under intermittent mist. Subsequent cuttings from plants produced from previous cuttings of the ‘WHIT IX’ original parent have been rooted and are identical to the original plant. Growth, flowering, flower and foliage color and capacity to rebloom on old inflorescences remain consistent with the parent.